North Korea's armed forces are reported to be awaiting a "final order" from the country's supreme leader Kim Jong-un before launching a campaign against South Korea.

Ahead of a ten-day joint computer-simulated drill to be conducted by the US and South Korea on 11 March, the North's most widely circulated mouthpiece Rodong Sinmun said: "Our front-line military groups, the army, the navy and the air force, the anti-aircraft units and the strategic rocket units, who have entered the final all-out war stage, are awaiting the final order to strike."

The mouthpiece said the North's nuclear weapons are also in full readiness.

"Puppet regimes in the US and South Korea will be turned into a sea of fire in the blink of an eye," said the daily, raising tensions further in the Korean peninsula.

South Korea and the US have been conducting a joint field training exercise codenamed Foal Eagle since 1 March, and this is likely to go on until the end of April. Follow us Follow @IBTimesUK Google Plus

Nearly 10,000 South Korean troops and 3,500 American forces along with fighter planes are involved in the manoeuvres.

South Korea says the exercises are intended to secure its territories, but Pyongyang charges that they are aimed at the North.

The North has also announced that it will conduct a two-day nationwide military exercise in response to the US-South Korea drill.

Local reports suggest that Kim has also been visiting strategically important military installations in the country in the wake of the volatile situation.

A military source in Seoul has told the Yonhap news agency that Pyongyang is likely to fire short-range missiles or resort to other forms of attack during the drill. The source vowed to retaliate with greater force if South Korean sovereignty is violated.

Normal sabre rattling every time this joint exercise happens. Don't know how long the Norks have been doing it in response but it's at least since the 70s. If they ever don't throw a hissy fit then it's time to be concerned.

I took to heart a statement by a soldier who had been stationed in Korea for many years: “For at least a decade or two, US forces have been in South Korea to settle down the South Korean army and keep them from beating seven bells out of North Korea.”

Now theyve got nukes, as well as some 20,000 conventional artillery pieces targeted on Seoul.

This is what I've often heard too, but looking at a map it just doesn't appear possible. Seoul is 20 miles from the DMZ. That limits artillery tubes that can shoot that far to 5" and above. Artillery rockets have longer range, but only large rockets.

There is also a limited amount of realestate to put those units it. B-52 rototilling and MOABs could make that a tough place to hang out.

13
posted on 03/10/2013 11:02:21 AM PDT
by SampleMan
(Feral Humans are the refuse of socialism.)

In the 70s I worked in the command center in Yong Son.
The NOrth would fly jets at the border causeing us to scramble jets from Kimpo airbase to meet their challenge.
At the last moment prior to getting to the border they’d peel off and go back to their bases.
Seoul is about 30 miles from the border and it would take only a few minutes for them to reach Seoul.
Personally I’ve worked with the ROC army (that being South Korea) and I wouldn’t care to fight them. They are well prepped and bad asses.

“To think they will put up or get beaten by a bunch of sawed off, malnutritioned cockroaches from the North is laughable.”

This is no longer the 60s. If the KPA attacked, they might gain some initial ground through sheer weight of numbers, but then they’d lose once the US and ROK destroy their antiquated air force and strafe the ground troops.

That said, it might be worth noting that present-day ROK soldiers, while tough, are pretty lazy and undisciplined. Many young South Koreans don’t share the same hatred of the North that their elders do and conscription is widely resented. In short, a good deal of the ROK’s army is only there because they have to be, not because they want to.

Granted they’ll fight if a war broke out because nobody ever called a Korean a coward and lived, but it will likely be a total melee with North and South Korean troops all going at each other, all order broken down and US aircraft confused as to who exactly they should attack.

Ain’t the Norks I’d be worried about. What sort of political will to resist is there in the South Korean government. As our own military finds out, frequently, it doesn’t matter how good you are, if your leaders are pussies.

31
posted on 03/10/2013 3:41:25 PM PDT
by Little Ray
(Waiting for the return of the Gods of the Copybook Headings.)

My fear is that the little fat man will order a strike just to be contrary. They might make some gains for a time—make take South Korea’s capital then hit a snag as bombers wreck North Korea. What will China Do? Who knows? What will Obama do—I predict zip! He will go to the UN as our troops are slaughtered. Maybe this will put an end to the farce that is North Korea. South Korea will be devastated —China may like this as it will knock out a rival for far east trade. I see a three to six week war—The Obama can earn his second Peace Prize.

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